Murder of Jaisen Sooreea in Saint-Félix: The Broken Fate of an Exemplary Son with a Big Heart
The village of Surinam is in shock following the tragic death of Jaisen Sooreea, 22, affectionately known as Jenise. He was the victim of a brutal attack on the night of Tuesday, April 14, while attending a party on the beach at Saint-Félix, in the south of the island.
Stabbed in the chest, he bled out and was admitted to intensive care, where he took his last breath in the early hours of Wednesday. His alleged murderer, 37-year-old Anandasamy Ponnan, was arrested on Wednesday and confessed to the crime.
On Katamaraz Street in Surinam, the community is devastated. Jenise was a well-liked young man. "He would never hurt a fly," said a shocked acquaintance, reflecting on the deadly assault. This grief is echoed by Kaviraj Gopaul, his father-in-law, who is heartbroken. He described Jenise as respectful and obedient. "When you spoke to him, he listened intently. He used to work with me in distribution, but he stopped in February. Since he was interested in mechanics, he wanted to learn. So, he started working as a mechanic with a friend," he recalled.
"He had so many dreams, like owning his own car. He wanted to buy a Toyota Axio," he added. Additionally, he dreamed of building his own house. "He aspired to own his home and was working towards it, saving up gradually to make his dream a reality," he explained. Confident in his success, Kaviraj described him as a serious and determined young man.
His daily life revolved around work and home. "He would leave for work early in the morning and return in the afternoon, then he would play PUBG," his father-in-law noted. Well surrounded by friends, Jenise spent most of his time playing online with them, rarely going out. "He was an exemplary son," he said, heartbroken.
A Day That Turned into Horror
On the day of the tragedy, Jenise was at home. "His friends wanted to go to the beach at Saint-Félix. However, since it was raining, they waited for the weather to improve. He told me he was going to the beach for the party and would return before it ended," Kaviraj recounted. "I later received a call informing me of a fight at the beach, and I had a bad feeling. I tried calling him, but he didn’t answer. I also tried reaching out to his friends, but to no avail," he added.
Then, the worst news came. "I received another call telling me that Jenise had been stabbed. I was outside and didn’t know how to tell his mother, but I had to," he remembered. The couple then rushed to Souillac hospital before he was transferred to Jawaharlal Nehru hospital in Rose-Belle. "His condition was critical, and he was suffering. When I saw him, he was still breathing and waved at me," he continued.
The night was endless for the family, filled with hope and prayers. After surgery, he was placed in intensive care. "We were told we had to wait six critical hours to see if there would be improvement. But around 6 AM, we were informed that he hadn’t survived," he said.
Two other friends were also attacked that night. After receiving treatment, they returned home, but the scars remain. Jenise’s funeral took place on Thursday, attended by many locals, family, and friends who came to pay their respects.
But what really happened on April 14 at Saint-Félix? Jenise’s friends claim they had a confrontation with a group, but clarify that the suspect, Anandasamy Ponnan, was not part of that group. They described him as extremely violent. One friend of the victim attempted to intervene to stop the suspect but was attacked in return and required several stitches on his foot.
For his part, Anandasamy Ponnan confessed to investigators that he acted out of provocation during a dispute with a group of young people, which included Jaisen Sooreea.
The investigation is ongoing.
